Homophobic slur: SANZAR pass buck

 

The Waratahs stand accused of hurling homophobic slurs at the Brumbies after Wallaby flank David Pocock approached referee Craig Joubert twice in the final 15 minutes – upset at what the referee deemed to be "pretty aggressive comments".

 

Brumbies chief executive Michael Jones said that the players had been told by a SANZAR official after the match that an investigation has already started.

 

"One player made a number of remarks on a number of occasions and it was fairly continuous throughout the game," said Jones.

 

"A SANZAR disciplinary officer will listen to the tapes to see if there is sufficient evidence to build a case to answer," Jones told News Corp.

 

"From our perspective, all we can do is make SANZAR aware of it, which we have done. There is no requirement from us to make a formal complaint."

 

SANZAR issued a brief statement on Monday indicating they had looked into the matter and would hand it over to the ARU to take further.

 

"SANZAR has completed a preliminary investigation into the alleged conduct of a Waratahs player during the match against the Brumbies played at Allianz Stadium in Sydney on March 22," the statement read.

 

"In this instance SANZAR has determined to refer the matter to the Australian Rugby Union for consideration, as permitted under the SANZAR Disciplinary Rules.

 

"SANZAR will not be making any further comment on this matter."